GOP debate in Wasserman Schultz district

No need to wait for the GOP Congressional District 23 debate to start, well, debating when the planning for the debate started.

We wrote a blog yesterday saying that the 7 p.m. June 28 debate at the Old Davie School House will be minus one key candidate: Karen Harrington had already scheduled a fundraiser for that night.

Karen Harrington spokesman Anthony Bustamante said yesterday: "We literally got notice like a week and a half ago," Bustamante said. "We already had prior engagements that evening. We have already been at two other forums -- it's not like we haven't participated in getting Karen's message out."

BREC sent an email to candidates about the debate June 1 and Bustamante responded June 3 so if we want to get technical that was closer to two and a half or three weeks. But let's hope the candidates come up with some meatier issues to debate than the scheduling of the debate.

Ozzie deFaria, Joe Kaufman, Gineen Bresso and Juan Eliel Garcia have confirmed. The GOP contenders are competing for the chance to face U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Weston) who has raised more than $2 million and is the DNC chair.